Mount for twin searchlights



Aug. 1% 1949. G. E. MEESE 2,479,176

MOUNT FOR TWIN SEARCHLIGHTS Filed April 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

,. l W 6 M M W "1' 24 5 H 2/ U INVENTORI GEORGE E. MEESE,

HIS ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 3949. G. E. MEESE 2,479,376

MOUNT FOR TWIN SEARCHLIGHTS Filed April 13, 1946 4 Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTOR: GEORGE E. MEYESE, BY V d/NO QMW Hi8 ATTORNEY 9 1949' e. E. MEESE MOUNT FOR TWIN SEARCHLIGHTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 15, 1946 m T N E V N TL GEORGE E.. MEESEI,

- BY v v ATTORNEY HIS Aug. w, 1949. E MEE E I 2,479,176

MOUNT FOR TWIN SEARCHLIGHTS Filed April 13, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheefi 4 INVENTOR:

GE RGE E1 MEESE,

BY I IS ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 16, 1949 MOUNT Fort TWIN SEARCHLIGHTS' George E. Meese, East C1eveland,=0hio-, assignor to General Electric Company, .3" corporation of V I New York Application April 13, 1946; Serial" No; 6625042 My invention relates to searchlights and more particularly to mountstherefor. The principal object ofv my invention is'to provide a mount having: a control. mechanism for apair of searchlights. by whichv the two projected beams may be aimed in tandem through 360 azimuthally and 20 to 30 above and below horizontal. Another objectof the invention'is to provide a mount having a control mechanism for a pair of searchlightsby which the projected beams may be caused to diverge or converge and may be displaced. in elevation with respect to each other. Still further objects and. advantages of the invention will appear. from the following detailed description of: species thereof and from the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational viewof a Searchlight unit or assembly having. a control mechanism'embodying my invention;, Fig. 2 is a plan View. of. the searchli unit vshow-n'in Fig. 1; Fig. v3 is-a side elevational View ofthe searchlight unit; Fig. 4 is anenlarged top. plan. view of. part of the control mechanism shown inFigs. 1, 2and 3 Fig. 51 is a front elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4,

with a part thereof broken away .and'lshown in section; Fig. .6 is .a side elevational view of 'the mechanism shown in Fig. 4' rotated I30 degrees from the position shown in Fig. 4 and having a paritthereofbroken away; and Fig. '7 is a similar view of part' of the controlmeansshown in Figs. .4 to' 6 and turned 180' degrees from its position in Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1, Z'and 3 of thefdrawingthe searchlight unit comprises a pair of searchlights Iand2imounte'dontrunnions at theendsil l and v I 5, 6' of the cradle arms I, 8'and9flfl sothat" the searchlights 'I and 2 may be tilted upwardly or downwardly on a; horizontal axis; The cradle arms I, 8 and 9; II) are pivoted as shown at H and I2 (Fig. 1) on a supporting frame [3 so that thesearchlights I and 2 maybeturned on'vertical axestow'ard or'away from ea'chother." The supporting frame I3' is journaled" to. a vertical column or pillar I4 (Fig. 3) and-may be rotated a full 360 to change the direction of the light beams projected'by the search-lights. The VET-- tlca'l 'col'umn I4 i'sfixedtoa base which may be secured to-the floor of a motor. truck-body; theideckzof a'zboat' or the like. Averticaily ad instable seat I6 .for the operator is mounted: in back of the-searchlights and'onthef supporting frame: I 3 in -,.a position" in which thecontrols for the searchlights are within easy reach of theop crater. A. platform. I1 iswalso .provided-onathe framezfor. the ifeetxofi the operator.

,5 Claims. (01. 24061.05)

Thef-rame Itcomprises lower'support members I8: attached to abearing member I9 on the col.- umn I4 (Figs. .1 and 3) and supporting the seat I6; the pivot posts I l and I2 and therewith the searchlights land'ZL A pair of brace members 2! and'22' extend upward from the lower members I8 and are attached to the upper bearing 23 011113118 column M (Fig. 6). Also fastened to the upper bearing 23 is'an elongated housin zt whichqsupports the. mechanism for controlling the various movements of the-searchlights I and 2.

The mechanism for controlling the rotationof the support frame I3 about the column I4 comprises spiral gearing including a stationary gear 25 affixed to the upper endof the column I4 (Figs. 4; 5 and 6) and awormgear ZGaffixed-to a shaft 2T journaled teaclutch arm 28. the lowerend of which i-sattached to the frame I3 by a pivot rod 29 passin through studs 30 on said frame [3. The top. of the clutch arm 28 is attached to the housing bya clutch throw-out handle 3 [which is journaled to the clutch links 32 and the studs 33 on the clutch arm 2-8 and the housing ZA reF spectively (Figs. 4=to 6). Shifting of the clutch arm 28 froma position in which the worm gear 26 and thegear 25 are engaged (Figs. 4 to 6) to a positiomshownin light broken lines in Fig. 5, in which the gears 25 and 26 are disengaged is accomplished by turning handle 3!. The assembly including frame I3 and the searchlights l and [thus may be quickly rotated through a large angularv distance, such as by first turning the handle 31 to disengage the gears 25 and and then pushing on part of the assembly offset from the column 14. The gears 25 and 26 may be re-engaged'lby turning handle 3| to hold the assembly. in the new position. Adjustments of the assembly in the new position may be made by turninghandle .34 on shaft 211 to accurately aim the searchlight beamsat the target. The gears ZBIandjZB'ma'ybe'used'to move the assembly any desired."angnlardistance, of course.

The means for tilting the searchlights so as" to change'the positionof the projected light beams withrespect to theh'orizontal and the means to change the tilt'ofthe' searchlights'with respect to each other to cause the projected beams tofbe'displaced in elevation is shown in Figs; 4' to 7' and comprises a gear box '35 mountedon top of the housing 21. .The. gear box 3.51s provided'with a shaft villi'pzarssingthrough a stud 3''] on housing 24 and having a; handle 38 .within easy reach of the operaton The shaft-36 turns a worm gear Which engages a sector gear inside :the box 35. These gears reduce-the rate of; motion and the sector gear is mounted on a drive shaft 39 (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5 and in section in Fig. 6) which protrudes from both sides of the gear box 35. The gears in the interior of the gear box 35 have not been shown for simplicity of illustration and since these are conventional. The axles 40 of the searchlights and 2 pass throu h the trunnions on the arms 8 and 9 and universal joints 4| and 42 are splined to the axles 40. The universal joints 4| and 42 are attached to the end portions of the drive shaft 39 and rotate therewith to tilt the searchlight about a horizontal axis and on the supporting arms I to ID as the handle 38 of the shaft 36 is turned by the operator. The light beams thus may be directed up or down in tandem through the same angular distance, such as to above and below the horizontal, by turning the handle 38 in the proper direction.

The universal joint 4| is fixed to the shaft 39 but the joint 42 is secured to the said shaft by a pin 43 set into shaft 39 and passing through a circumferential slot 44 in the part of the universal joint engaging drive shaft 39 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The slot 44 is of sufficient length to allow the universal joint 42 to be rotated approximately 60 degrees with respect to the shaft 39 to change the position of the searchlight 2 with respect to that of the searchlight The projected light beams thus may be displaced vertically with respect to each other by changing the relative positions of the universal joints 4| and 42 on the drive shaft 39.

The means for changing the relative positions of the joints 4| and 42 comprises a pair of lever arms 45 and 46 which are fixed to the shaft 39 and the universal joint 42, respectively. The free ends of arms 45 and 46 are provided with pivoted collars 41 and 48, respectively, which engage a threaded shaft 49 provided with a handle 5|. Rotating the handle 5| causes relative displacement of the free ends of the arms 45 and 46 and thus relative rotary displacement of the universal joint 42 and the shaft 39. When the desired relative tilt of the searchlights l and 2 has been attained by turning the handle 5| the handle 33 may be turned to elevate or depress the projected light beams simultaneously.

The gear box is held on the housing 24 by a pair of guide rails 53 and 54 fixed to the housing 24 and engaging the base-plate 55 of the gear box as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The gear box 35 is provided with a dog 56 which engages a threaded shaft 51 (Figs. 5 and 6) journaled to the front and back of the housing 24 and which may be turned by the shaft 58 provided with the handle 59 to move the gear box 35 along the housing 24. The movement of the gear box 35 is transmitted through the universal joints 4| and 42, which are splined to the axles 40, to turn the searchlights I and 2 on the pivots H and I2. Thus, by turning handle 59, which is shown in Fig. 6 turned about 90 from the position shown in Fig. 4, the searchlights may be turned to toe in or out and to cause the projected light beams to diverge or converge.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a searchlight assembly, the combination of a vertical column, a frame mounted to rotate on said column, a pair of searchlights having axles extending horizontally therefrom, means supporting said searchlights on opposite sides of said column through their said axles and mounted on said frame for rotation on vertical axes, and

coupling means for said searchlights carried by said frame and including universal joints connected to the searchlight axles, one of said joints being arranged for rotary displacement with re= spect to one of said axles whereby the searchlights are tiltable at different angles, and including also means engaging said joints for rotating the searchlight axles in the same direc-- tion about their axes to tilt the projected light beams above or below the horizontal and means connected to said joints and arranged to cause rotation of the searchlight supporting means in opposite directions about their vertical axes to toe the searchlights in or out.

2. In a searchlight assembly, the combination of a vertical column, a frame mounted to rotate on said column, a pair of searchlights having axles extending horizontally therefrom, means supporting said searchlights on opposite side of said column through their said axles and mounted on said frame for rotation on vertical axes, and coupling means for said searchlights carried by aid frame and including universal joints connected to the searchlight axles, one of said joints being arranged for rotary displacement with respect to one of said axles whereby the searchlights are tiltable at different angles, and including also means engaging said joints for rotating the searchlight axles in the same direction about their axes to tilt the projected light beams above or below the horizonal, means for rotating the axles of the respective searchlights in opposite directions about their axes to displace the light beams in elevation with respect to each other and means connected to said joints and arranged to cause rotation of the searchlight supporting means in opposite directions about their vertical axes to toe the searchlights in or out.

3. In a searchlight assembly, the combination of a vertical column, a frame mounted to rotate on said column, drive means on said frame and engageable with said column for rotating said frame about said column, a pair of searchlights having axles extending horizontally therefrom, means supporting said searchlights on opposite sides of said column through their said axles and mounted on said frame for rotation on vertical axes, and coupling means for said searchlights carried by said frame and including universal joints connected to the searchlight axles, one of said joints being arranged for rotary displacement with respect to one of said axles whereby the searchlights are tiltable at different angles, and including also means engaging said joints for rotating the searchlight axles in the same direction about their axes to tilt the projected light beams above or below the horizontal and means connected to said joints and arranged to cause rotation of the searchlight supporting means in opposite directions about their vertical axes to toe the searchlights in or out.

4. In a searchlight assembly, the combination of a vertical column, a frame mounted to rotate on said column, drive means on said frame and engageable with said column for rotating said frame about said column and clutch means on said frame for moving said drive means into and out of engagement with said column, a pair of searchlights having axles extending horizontally therefrom, means supporting said searchlights on opposite sides of said column through their said axles and mounted on said frame for rotation on vertical axes, and coupling means for said searchlights carried by said frame and including universal joints connected to the searchlight axles, one

of said joints being arranged for rotary displacement with respect to one of said axles whereby the searchlights are tiltable at different angles, and including also means engaging said joints for rotating the searchlight axles in the same direction about their axes to tilt the projected light beams above or below the horizontal and means connected to said joints and arranged to cause rotation of the Searchlight supporting means in opposite directions about their vertical axes to toe the searchlights in or out.

5. In a Searchlight assembly, the combination of a vertical column, a frame mounted to rotate on said column, a pair of searchlights having axles extending horizontally therefrom, means supporting said searchlights on opposite sides of said column through their said axles and mounted on said frame for rotation on vertical axes, and

' coupling means for said searchlights carried by said frame and including universal joints engaging the searchlight axles, one of said joints being 6 arranged for relative rotary displacement with respect to the other whereby the respective searchlights are tiltable at different angles, and drive means engaging said joints for rotating the Searchlight axles in the same direction about their axes to tilt the projected light beams above or below the horizontal and to cause rotation of the searchlight supporting means in opposite directions about their vertical axes to toe the searchlights in or out.

GEORGE E. MEESE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,010 Great Britain 1909 28,004 Great Britain 1907 

